Urbex in Arnhem means reading a city where the 1944 battle wiped out whole neighbourhoods and where the Rhine and the IJssel fed brickworks for a century. Between the overgrown Fort Westervoort by the IJssel bridge, the haunting ruins of Hotel Dullemond in the woods near Laag-Soeren and the empty care home of the Rhederhof, the region around Arnhem is a surprisingly dense urbex area. Our map lists thousands of geolocated spots in Gelderland and across the rest of the Netherlands.
For this guide we have chosen 6 places that are genuinely abandoned and still standing in 2026, each checked individually: a fort from the IJssel Line, a hotel ruin in the woods, a derelict care home, a brickworks with a ring kiln and chimney, a church closed since 2024 and a park full of empty pavilions. No demolished icons sold as living spots, no restored attraction disguised as a ruin. Under each place a button "Add to my map" saves the GPS coordinates to your personal account for free, with no credit card.
The searches urbex Arnhem, abandoned places Gelderland, urbex Gelderland, abandoned buildings Arnhem and free urbex map Netherlands all point to the same reality: a military, industrial and care heritage that history pushed aside through dismantling, factory closures and shifting policy, and that photographers, urbexers and historians are rediscovering today. This guide gives you, for each place, the dated history, the legal status and the real dangers, before handing you the coordinates. It is an in-depth city guide tied to our big pillar on urbex in the Netherlands.
Discover thousands of abandoned places in Gelderland on the interactive urbex map →
Urbex Arnhem for free: why Urbex Maps makes the difference
Before we get into the spots, a quick word on why this guide is different. Most pages about abandoned places in Gelderland put "free" in the title and then send you to a closed Facebook group, a forum or a paywall. Here the promise is concrete: under each place a button "Add to my map" drops the GPS coordinates into your personal account, with no subscription and no credit card.
Behind the map stands a community of more than 40,000 explorers, active since 2021. Every coordinate is checked at least twice: by the person who submits the spot, and then by a regional moderator who confirms that the place still exists and has not been boarded up or demolished. The places we offer here are part of that catalogue; the thousands of other Dutch spots you unlock through packs that fund the moderation and the on-site verification.
A reminder before you set off: urban exploration is not in itself illegal, but entering private property without permission is trespass (article 138 of the Dutch Criminal Code) and becomes punishable as soon as you cause damage or ignore fences and signs. We document these places for their history; we never encourage breaking in. Helmet, torch, sturdy shoes and care on the floors: several of the following spots really do have collapse and asbestos risks, and at the fort it is about steep embankments and wet moats.
What is NOT on this list (and why)
Anyone who googles "abandoned places Arnhem" quickly hits names that are no longer a real urbex spot. We have deliberately left them out, after checking. The Dome Prison on the Wilhelminastraat closed in 2015, but since 2019 it has been a busy events venue and from 2026 it is being converted into housing and a hotel: not a ruin, then. Doorwerth Castle is a living museum, not abandoned, and the Sterrenberg in Oosterbeek is in use as a therapists' centre.
The same goes for the industry. The large sheds of the brickworks in Meinerswijk-Stadsblokken were demolished in 2025 to make way for the new Meijnerseiland; only a few iconic buildings remain for a cultural use. The Riverstone (De Groot) brickworks in Rheden we cover in our pillar on the Netherlands and therefore leave out here. A place only earns a spot on this list if it is genuinely abandoned in 2026, still standing and not converted into a museum, hotel or housing. That is what sets us apart from the copied little lists that have been passing around the same outdated names for years.
1. Fort Westervoort: the overgrown fort by the IJssel bridge
Right by the railway bridge over the IJssel, within the municipality of Arnhem, lies Fort Westervoort. It was built in 1865 as a blocking fort by the railway bridge, as part of the IJssel Line. On 10 May 1940 the first acts of combat on Dutch soil took place here; a memorial stone recalls the fourteen Dutch soldiers killed in those May days.
After the war the fort fell into decay. The brick walls are full of bullet impacts, the embankment is overgrown and the corridors are damp. The fort has had no military function since the 1980s and is now owned by the province of Gelderland, which since 2018 only maintains it: clearing vegetation, removing graffiti. In 2025 the memorial stone was moved to a more accessible spot on top of the fort, but there is no new use for it. The tunnel under the railway and the road is open; the rest is a derelict, partly guarded site that you mainly view from the outside. You will find more places on our urbex map of Gelderland.
2. Hotel Dullemond: the ghost hotel of Laag-Soeren
In the woods of Laag-Soeren, in the municipality of Rheden, stands one of the best-known ruins in the region: Hotel Dullemond, also known as Hotel Laag-Soeren. It began around 1780 as the country house Huis Laag-Soeren, became a hotel around 1900 and passed into the hands of the Dullemond family in 1906. In its heyday it was a favourite address for well-to-do guests.
The hotel closed its doors in 1970. The last family members still lived in the kitchen and one room while the building slowly decayed into a ruin; Mientje Dullemond, the last resident, died in 2007. After a fire and squatting periods the place became a sought-after urbex target, with nightly "ghost hotel" excursions. The estate was left to five charities in 2007, and has been up for sale as building land since 2016, but the ruin is still standing in 2026: roofless walls, painted with graffiti, in the middle of the greenery. It is private land that you view from the public road. More spots on our urbex map of Gelderland.
3. Rhederhof: the derelict care home of Rheden
On the Snippendaalseweg in Rheden, east of Arnhem, stands the former Rhederhof care home. It was built in 1965 as a care centre and served until 2000. After that asylum seekers stayed there briefly, and since around 2006 the building has stood empty. It was still used as anti-squat housing and as a training ground for police and fire services.
By now the block is badly decayed: smashed windows, graffiti, regular small fires and illegal visitors. After more than 25 years of vacancy, the demolition and new-build plans are finally moving. According to local reports from early 2026, the asbestos removal is expected in August 2026 and demolition could start in the spring of 2027 at the earliest. Until then it is still standing, behind fences and under surveillance: time is running out for anyone who wants to see it. View it from the outside and respect the barriers. More places on our urbex map of Gelderland.
4. De Emptepol brickworks: ring kiln and chimney on the IJssel
In the floodplains of the IJssel, right next to the A12 bridge near Westervoort, stands the De Emptepol brickworks. Derk Terwindt bought the Empte Pol estate in 1868 and obtained a permit in 1869 for a brickworks with field kilns. In 1924 a zigzag-type ring kiln replaced the field kiln, converted in 1931 into a flame kiln for paving bricks. The works ran until 1982, when demand for bricks collapsed.
Since then the ring kiln, the chimney, the pressing building and the director's house have stood in the grass as a derelict complex. Plans to turn it into a wellness centre, an outdoor centre or a swimming pool never went ahead; there is a proposal to designate the works a national monument. It is private land, fenced and guarded: the caravan storage that was there for years stopped on 1 January 2026. So look at the chimney and the ring kiln from the outside and do not enter anything. You will find more industrial heritage on our urbex map of Gelderland.
This brickworks is not yet in our database. Have you visited it? Submit it with coordinates and photos, and a regional moderator will check the place before it appears on the map of Gelderland.
5. Martinus Church Doesburg: the church empty since 2024
On the Juliana van Stolberglaan in Doesburg, east of Arnhem, stands the Roman Catholic Martinus Church. This is not the famous medieval Grote or Martini Church in the centre, but a plain modern church from 1965, which replaced a neoclassical predecessor from 1813. The concrete bell tower and the crisp brick facade are typical of post-war church building.
The Saint Willibrordus parish set the closure in motion in 2022 due to lack of money and dwindling interest; the Sunday services stopped in 2023 and the last service was in January 2024. Since then the church has stood empty while a new use is sought, which is not yet settled. It is a recently abandoned church, closed and waiting: a quiet place that you view from the outside, with respect for the building and the neighbourhood. Read more about abandoned churches and other spots in our pillar on urbex in the Netherlands.
This church is not yet in our database either. Have you been there? Submit the place with coordinates and photos; after a moderator's check it will appear on the map of Gelderland.
6. Pro Persona Wolfheze: the empty pavilions in the woods
Hidden in the woods near Wolfheze, between Arnhem and Ede, lies the vast grounds of Pro Persona, the psychiatric institution that began here in 1905-1907. The site of some 80 hectares holds more than 80 buildings, including a monumental "Central Axis" with properties such as Sonneheerdt (1925, Amsterdam School).
A good part of those buildings stands empty and no longer meets the requirements of our time. The redevelopment, with 400 to 450 homes and renewed care, is delayed by the nitrogen rules; the municipality opted for temporary letting of a few empty properties and Pro Persona applied for a nature permit in April 2026, including demolition and new build. This is not an open ruin but a partly still active, guarded and monumental site in transition: you view the empty pavilions from the public paths, without entering anything. More spots are in our pillar on urbex in the Netherlands.
The empty buildings of Wolfheze are not yet in our database. Do you have reliable coordinates? Submit them; after a check by a regional moderator they will appear on the map of Gelderland.
FAQ - Urbex Arnhem
Is urbex in Arnhem legal?
Viewing and photographing buildings from public ground is allowed. Entering private property without permission is trespass (article 138 of the Dutch Criminal Code) and becomes punishable as soon as you cause damage or ignore fences and signs. Most places in this guide are private, listed or owned by the government: we document them for their history and never encourage breaking in. You can read more about this in our pillar on urbex in the Netherlands.
Where can I find more abandoned places around Arnhem?
Our map lists thousands of spots in Gelderland and across the rest of the Netherlands. The places in this article you add to your personal map for free via the button under each spot; the rest you unlock through our regional packs.
Are these abandoned places dangerous?
Yes. Fort Westervoort has steep embankments and wet spaces, the Rhederhof and the De Emptepol brickworks have collapse risks, rotting floors and possibly asbestos, and Hotel Dullemond is a roofless ruin. Several places are better viewed from the outside only. Do not go alone, take a torch and never enter any structure that looks unsafe. Our pillar on the Netherlands brings together the most important safety rules.
Which place is suitable to start with?
Fort Westervoort is the most accessible to view from the outside: an overgrown fort by the IJssel bridge, with a memorial stone and an open tunnel. For industrial atmosphere the De Emptepol brickworks with its chimney is the most photogenic, and anyone after the real ruin atmosphere goes to Hotel Dullemond in the woods near Laag-Soeren.
What is the best season for urbex in Gelderland?
Spring and autumn give the finest light and the least vegetation hiding the buildings, while winter strips the trees bare and makes ruins like Hotel Dullemond and Fort Westervoort more visible. Always check the access before you go too: several places on this list, such as the Rhederhof and De Emptepol, have a demolition or redevelopment clock ticking and can change from year to year.
How do I report a spot to Urbex Maps?
Our community of more than 40,000 explorers constantly adds places and checks them. With a free account you submit a place with coordinates and photos; a regional moderator then checks whether the place exists and is still standing before it goes online. That double check makes our coordinates reliable.
Conclusion: Arnhem, a city full of quiet remains
From the overgrown Fort Westervoort and the hotel ruin in the woods to the derelict care home of the Rhederhof, the brickworks on the IJssel, the silent church of Doesburg and the empty pavilions of Wolfheze: the abandoned places around Arnhem tell the story of a fortress, river and care region, and of the war, the factory closures and the shifting policy that left these places behind. They are not film sets but history books in the open air: fragile, to be explored with respect and without doing damage.
Explore them responsibly: most are private, listed or dangerous, and the point of urbex is to witness and document, never to damage or break in. Add them to your map and read on in our pillar on urbex in the Netherlands or on the full urbex map of Gelderland.